Apr 7, 2014, 9:35 am
Last edit by: craz
Might as well get some Qs answered, right?
Fees
Bill Payment Fee- Electronic/Paper Check: No Charge
(anyone know when it goes electronic vs paper?)
Retail Purchase Fee:$3.95 (some report $0 to purchase, YMMV)
Monthly Maintenance Fee:$5.95 per month (charged 7 days after activation, which is date of purchase! and not the date you assign a Pin or Register the card).
Fees
Bill Payment Fee- Electronic/Paper Check: No Charge
(anyone know when it goes electronic vs paper?)
Retail Purchase Fee:$3.95 (some report $0 to purchase, YMMV)
Monthly Maintenance Fee:$5.95 per month (charged 7 days after activation, which is date of purchase! and not the date you assign a Pin or Register the card).
Paypower Prepaid Debit Card
Jan 30, 2014, 7:23 am
#76
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: MSP
Posts: 330
I'm curious what they'll do now, they deducted the monthly maint fee on the 25th and I show a negative balance on my account.
Feb 4, 2014, 12:48 pm
#77
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
PayPowers scan fine at my three stores (2 Vons and 1 Pavilions). I believe all mine have been the Spanish ones, but within that subset there are two types of packages...
1. has an annoying sticker over the 16 digits on the card front, and almost falls outta the package through the slot left when the cashier tears off the strip that covers the barcode
2. similar strip tears off, but the card comes out more on the side of the packaging or something, maybe look for different placement of the perforations
But they both scan for me.
BTW for anybody else, the first time I set the PIN I wondered if it really took. The activation website implies a 4-step process. Step 2 has PIN, confirm PIN, and CAPTCHA inputs, then a Continue button. Yes, it works -- no need to worry about the remaining 2 steps.
1. has an annoying sticker over the 16 digits on the card front, and almost falls outta the package through the slot left when the cashier tears off the strip that covers the barcode
2. similar strip tears off, but the card comes out more on the side of the packaging or something, maybe look for different placement of the perforations
But they both scan for me.
BTW for anybody else, the first time I set the PIN I wondered if it really took. The activation website implies a 4-step process. Step 2 has PIN, confirm PIN, and CAPTCHA inputs, then a Continue button. Yes, it works -- no need to worry about the remaining 2 steps.
Feb 4, 2014, 1:44 pm
#78
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: DFW
Posts: 478
Feb 4, 2014, 2:33 pm
#79
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 374
Feb 6, 2014, 1:20 pm
#81
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
Might as well throw a couple strategies out in this thread...
PayPower
Since there is no fee (although I haven't tested the current "week" re Vons deals tending to run Wednesday to Tuesday) there's a slight advantage to loading 499.99 or something instead of 500.00. The latter requires the manager override card, unlike the former.
Fuel Points
First, the PayPower isn't giving fuel points but most of us have plenty of points and will be using them (from the Univision, for example). Well, it's probably not necessary but some of us like to sometimes "mask" purchases from showing certain totals like 500.00, 505.95, 953.95, etc. The most straightforward way to do that is buy a banana LOL but I prefer something else. My Vons gas stations charge 10c/gal less if I pay with cash, debit, or Vons gift card. So I just figure out how much I'll need to add to the Vons gift card I already have, in order to fill up my near-empty gas tank, and add value to that card bit-by-bit as the "masking" item added to the big item. Some cashiers know how to do it. I believe they punch in a Code 1, then I swipe my Vons gift card. The pin pad terminal displays the current balance and asks me to type in how much I wanna add, so I don't even have to tell the cashier my funny amount ("Why would you need to add $1.03 to your gift card, sir?" LOL). Now that I think about it, I might have to try something similar at CVS...
PayPower
Since there is no fee (although I haven't tested the current "week" re Vons deals tending to run Wednesday to Tuesday) there's a slight advantage to loading 499.99 or something instead of 500.00. The latter requires the manager override card, unlike the former.
Fuel Points
First, the PayPower isn't giving fuel points but most of us have plenty of points and will be using them (from the Univision, for example). Well, it's probably not necessary but some of us like to sometimes "mask" purchases from showing certain totals like 500.00, 505.95, 953.95, etc. The most straightforward way to do that is buy a banana LOL but I prefer something else. My Vons gas stations charge 10c/gal less if I pay with cash, debit, or Vons gift card. So I just figure out how much I'll need to add to the Vons gift card I already have, in order to fill up my near-empty gas tank, and add value to that card bit-by-bit as the "masking" item added to the big item. Some cashiers know how to do it. I believe they punch in a Code 1, then I swipe my Vons gift card. The pin pad terminal displays the current balance and asks me to type in how much I wanna add, so I don't even have to tell the cashier my funny amount ("Why would you need to add $1.03 to your gift card, sir?" LOL). Now that I think about it, I might have to try something similar at CVS...
Feb 6, 2014, 1:29 pm
#82
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
I just tested one of my drained cards.
https://www.paypower.com/Activate
...behaved exactly like it did before, so I would proceed if I were you.
https://www.paypower.com/Activate
...behaved exactly like it did before, so I would proceed if I were you.
Feb 7, 2014, 7:44 pm
#83
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: So Cal
Programs: UA Gold/0.744MM, WN AL, Hyatt Diamond, MR Scum, Hertz PC, National Exec, Avis PC
Posts: 5,561
Had my first denial on buying PayPower today. Went to a different Vons than usual and they immediately pointed out the Cash Only on the package. Even went and checked with the manager... Guess I won't be going back to that particular Vons again
Feb 10, 2014, 6:30 pm
#84
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 162
Are all the paypower cards no fee? Including the Spanish ones? I've been picking up only the ones labeled no fee. Also I've found if I tear off the top flap of the pp card I get no pushback on the cash only. Ignorance is bliss. I ht. 5x495 at two stores today. Made paper at Kroger 10 mins later. Hope I can hit my aa 100k min spend on fee frees!
Last edited by tcook052; Feb 10, 2014 at 11:02 pm
Feb 11, 2014, 5:54 am
#85
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
I just tested one of my drained cards.
https://www.paypower.com/Activate
...behaved exactly like it did before, so I would proceed if I were you.
https://www.paypower.com/Activate
...behaved exactly like it did before, so I would proceed if I were you.
Feb 11, 2014, 8:34 am
#88
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
Just stopped by a store in CT and checked out these cards. There seemed to be two types:
1. prepaid visa
2. prepaid visa travel money
Both seemed to require 3.95 purchase fee and 5.95 monthly fee after 30 days and also at the back said require SSN to activate and of course cash only. Are these the types you are talking about? I was able to purchase a reloadit with CC so I think I should be able to get the prepaid card with CC as well.
1. prepaid visa
2. prepaid visa travel money
Both seemed to require 3.95 purchase fee and 5.95 monthly fee after 30 days and also at the back said require SSN to activate and of course cash only. Are these the types you are talking about? I was able to purchase a reloadit with CC so I think I should be able to get the prepaid card with CC as well.
Feb 11, 2014, 12:04 pm
#90
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
The ones I buy fee-free actually do say 3.95 on the front of the card. And from memory, the receipt shows the load amount (obviously) but does NOT indicate (by, say, having a fee charged and then the next line on the receipt shows the same amount credited) some sort of promo.
P.S. Don't get ones with "Travel" in the title. Or do, and report back, but we have no success reports here re the Travel ones.
P.S. Don't get ones with "Travel" in the title. Or do, and report back, but we have no success reports here re the Travel ones.
Last edited by zceuxbhjutf; Feb 11, 2014 at 3:04 pm